After The Battle
by gredandforgerock
Summary: Telling your story.


Harry woke up in the boy's dorm. Looking out the window he decided it was late enough to get up for a while. So he showered and headed down to the common room. All of the Weasley's, minus Fred, were there along with Hermione and Neville. Just as he stepped into the room Ginny noticed him and began walking toward him. They met in the middle and just hugged each other, not saying anything just hugging.

After a few minutes Ginny leaned back and with tears running down her face she said "He's gone. I just can't believe he is gone." Harry started to apologize, but Ginny cut him off. "I don't blame you Harry so don't even start. The only thing I am holding against you is nearly giving me a heart attack when I thought you were dead too. Don't you ever do that to me again or I promise I will make you pay!" She gave him a watery grin as she said it.

Harry was at a loss for words so he just hugged her again. After a few minutes he said "I missed you."

"I missed you too." was her only reply. Ginny's family watched the two for a few minutes before quietly beginning to talk amongst themselves again.

After several minutes Professor McGonagall stepped into the common room and spying Harry walked up to him, "Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville are the only ones who have not been seen by Madam Pomfrey. After that I need you to come to my office. Minister Shackelbolt has questions you must answer, including the Gringotts… well you get the idea."

"Ok, but I want the Weasley's there too, they need to hear it all, and I really don't want to repeat it over and over", he looked at Ginny and asked "You want to stay here with your family or come with us?" Ginny said "I'll go."

So the five teenagers trouped out of the common room and across the castle to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had them sit in a line of chairs while she examined each one. Healing each cut, burn, bruise and curse mark she found. When she got to Harry she fixed his injuries to and told him "You are exhausted, you need to be in bed. I know Professor McGonagall wants you in her office, but after that its bed rest and I will make you stay in the hospital if you won't get it yourself." Harry assured her he was planning on getting as much rest as possible in the coming days. Then they all left for the Headmasters office.

When they reached the door Neville turn to them and said "Well good luck with the story and all, I guess I'll head to the common room."

"No, you need to know what you really did during the battle, so you have to come too." Harry said as he drug Neville up the stairs.

No one questioned Neville's presence in the meeting as they sat, then Harry, Ron and Hermione began the long tale. "Now," Harry stated, "I'll start with the prophecy..." He told them the full prophecy

"But Harry I destroyed it at the ministry at the end of our fifth year," Neville said "how do you know what it said?"

"You only destroyed the copy that was stored at the ministry, the person who heard the prophecy still knew what it said, and told me." Harry stated.

"Who was that?" Neville asked.

"Professor Dumbledore, he told me right after the Ministry fight, I didn't tell anyone until later that summer. Professor Dumbledore said that keeping it to myself was fine but that I should tell Ron and Hermione. See he planned all along that they would go with me to hunt Tom Riddle. He knew that they wouldn't let me go on my own once they heard everything. During my sixth year Professor Dumbledore gave me private lessons. These lessons turned out to be about Tom Riddle. Who he was, where he came from, people he knew and so on, every lesson I had with Professor Dumbledore I shared it with them. As soon as I knew what I was facing, they knew what I was facing. And they never backed away from me they just tried to help me make the plans that needed to be made. When Professor Dumbledore died I told them I was going to go on alone, they flat out refused to be left behind. Even when they knew the horrific things we were going to face. Now back up 16 years to the night my parents died. Tom hit me with the killing curse, it reflected and hit him, destroying his body but he didn't die, why?"

Harry continued the story for what seemed like hours describing the hiding place of each horcrux and how each was destroyed. When he got to the part about the horcrux in him he faltered at that point Ron took over telling what Harry had told Hermione and himself just earlier that morning.

When he got to the point of Harry being laid on the ground at Tom's feet Harry took back over turning to Neville he said "This is why I wanted you here Neville. You need to know you didn't just kill a snake. You avenged your parents and they would be proud of you, just as I am." Neville was crying but smiled and nodded his head, he was proud of himself too.

"You know the rest," Harry said. The room was silent as each person digested the entire story.

"Harry that was the most spectacular story." Kingsley said "Absolutely incredible. But, I don't think all of that needs to be publicized."

Nodding Harry agreed "I think we could state he had a horcrux and that is why we broke into Gringotts."

"Yes," Kingsley agreed "that would take care of any problems that may arise. With that I will bid you good night, Harry I think you better get some rest Madam Pomfrey is sure to suggest a stay in the hospital if you don't."

As they started back toward the common room Harry and Ginny slipped away from the others. Hermione quietly suggested to Ron that they take the family through some of the short cuts back to the common room and he replied "No, I don't want to accidentally run across Harry and Ginny snogging in one of them."

He turned the famous shade of red as he whispered "Do you want to go find a quiet spot with me?" Hermione smiled and nodded, so they ducked behind a tapestry that pretends to be a wall. As the rest of the Weasley's reached the common room Molly leaned to Arthur and asked "Should we wait up for them?"


End file.
